Fisher Space Pen

[flashfan]

Regarding The Writer's Edge, I placed an order just before the holidays and asked for expedited shipping. December 25th came and went with no pens. I then tried to cancel, and was "persuaded" not to--they would ship by overnight express. I received two pens from my total order about three-four weeks later. The bulk of the order arrived just last week...and only after writing to them twice. No invoice/statement included with my order.

This most recent order was my "second chance" purchase with this company. A previous order arrived with old/heavily worn (unusable) boxes for expensive ($150 ea.) gift pens. The first order arrived very quickly, though...

 

[sotyakr]

After finally tracking down a Fisher refill locally (at REI), I put my old Futura back into service. After using it for some day to day stuff at work, I now remember why I hadn't used it in a while. I do like the fact that you can write at odd angles and on various surfaces not necessarily intended to be written on, but on plain ol' paper, I've found it less than impressive. The ink doesn't seem to flow consistently requiring me to occasionally go over what I've just written to make it legible. Also, the mechanism in my Futura is a little flaky, requiring a couple clicks to retract the pen. I may send it back to Fisher and hopefully they can take care of that problem. Finally, I hold my pen the weird way many lefties tend to do, and the smoothly finished, small diameter barrel can make for major writer's cramp. Fortunately, most of my writing consists of jotting down quick notes. Would I buy another Fisher Space Pen? Ummmm, probably not, however I'll keep on using the Futura for now. When the ink runs out, I may try a disposable uni-ball Power Tank which also uses a pressurized ink cartridge and they're fairly cheap.

 

[Owen]

I got some fine refills recently, and they are much better than any of the mediums I've used in the past. I use one of my bullets quite a bit at work, and have been intentionally using it for all my writing to check out the new refills. Smooth, and consistent, with no blobs.
Not the greatest writing instruments in the world, but for something I can drop in a pocket and forget about until I need it, it's great.

 

[FNinjaP90]

Yeah the mediums suck. I agree with the inconsistent flowing. Anyone know of a Lamy refill that has the same dimensions as a fisher?

 

[Frangible]

I just went to Staples after reading this thread and purchased the following:

Fisher Bullet pen, black, $15
Cross Ion, $20
No-name Cross Ion clone, $2.50

I proceeded to do writing tests to test the comfort and how each one writes.

The bullet pen had no blobs and wrote like a Bic pen. Pretty standard stuff. Wasn't uncomfortable.

The Ion wrote smoothly and darkly with its gel ink, and was the most comfortable to use. However, its ink was prone to smearing.

The Ion-clone wrote exactly like the Ion, but lacked a grip and expansion and was very uncomfortable to use. After writing a line of text my hand ached because the plastic was too slippery.

Overall I will EDC the bullet pen. It is significantly smaller when in "store" mode, and significantly larger in "write" mode. Also, the ink does not smear, unlike the Ion. The clip also suits my EDCing far better than the keyring adapter of the Ion.

The Ion writes very darkly and nicely, but it's just too fat, and the ink smears. Comfortable to hold, though. The retention cap is annoying and easy to lose.

The Ion clone just sucks. Don't bother.

 

[sotto]

I returned my Ion from Staples within a week. The roller ball tip got so it would snag and cut the paper I was writing on, and sometimes it wouldn't slide open and closed properly. The Identity Liquid pen from Staples has neither of those problems and is a lot more rugged.

 

[Frangible]

What's the identity pen? I couldn't find it searching on their website or in the store.

 

[Blackbeagle]

I carry a Fisher tucked away for when I find myself without a pen but usually I EDC a Sharpie Ex Fine and a Pilot G5 Ex Fine. The Pilot has that gel ink that is ultra black. The problem with gel is that it tends to smear a bit but the darkness and the flow characteristics make it worthwhile to me.

 

[sotto]

[ QUOTE ]
sotto said:
The best and most economical ($4.99) pocket pen/self defense device I've ever run across is the Identity Liquid pen from Staples. It uses the small Rotring type refills (available in multiple colors also from Staples) and comes with a neck chain. It'll write through skin oil and grease that my Fisher Bullet Space pen skids right through without leaving even a dim mark. The Identity pen comes on a removeable neck chain and is solid chrome-plated brass with a screw-off cap. You can use your imagination about the self-defense use when you see the pen.

[/ QUOTE ]

From my earlier post--Identity Liquid pocketpen with neckchain purchased a couple weeks ago at Staples on Lincoln Bd in Venice, Ca.

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Unfortunately, Staples doesn't seem to put that pen on their web pages.

 

[sotyakr]

Since this thread resurfaced, thought I'd give an update to my Fisher Futura that I put back into service. A few weeks after I began using it again, one day, the mechanism simply "came undone". The clip fell off and the plunger (or whatever it's called) popped up out of the barrel. Not sure if it's even worth sending back to Fisher to see if they'll repair (or replace) it.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I was given a Space Pen as a gift a couple years back.

The pen feels great, but wrote miserably! If I'm not mistaken, the refills for some other major brand will fit, I did so and and it writes better...

But I don't carry it and can't honestly remember!

In my pocket at this time we find a Sharpie Black Ultra Fine.

 

[neogoon]

On sale at Discovery Channel Stores: $5 each

It's been going around the gadget-freak Web forums, but the Discovery Channel Stores have them on sale right now for $5 each. Apparently the Web site is sold out, but I just picked up a few (Silver bullet, with stylus. No clip, though, I'll have find them somewhere else) at my local Discovery Channel store in the mall. There were some left -- they were hidden away pretty well, in a locked case.

On another note, does anyone have pics of that Identity Liquid pen?

 

[naromtap]

[ QUOTE ]
tkl said:
So, how do you folks like the Fisher pen?

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to use one years ago when I was a Motorcycle courier - used to have to write details down in all weathers & all other pens used to fail miserabely - gotta Space Pen & it never failed me, but that never solved the problem of the worksheets that would get soggy & fall apart at the slightest touch after repeated exposure to the rain!

 

[Steve C]

Interesting thread. I bought one of the telecoping Space pens three years ago. The medium point cartridge it came with blobbed big-time. I replaced that with a fine point, and have been using them ever since. It is a decent writing tool; not my first choice for any writing task, but it gets used a lot because I always have it to hand.

I have bought many "toys" and other stuff I didn't really need, without management approval, over the years, but I got in more trouble over this pen than anything else. When my wife saw the credit card bill where I had paid $35 for a pen, she screamed: "Have you lost your ****ing MIND???????

I still get a chuckle out of that one. She stayed mad for a week.....<G>

.

 

[Lurker]

Moral of the story: pay in cash and destroy the receipt. Just like the wives do.

 

[h_nu]

I rarely use mine. I keep one in the car and it seems to write on those rare occasions that I need a pen to write a quick note. Other pens always seemed to have dried out and died when left in the car for extended periods of time.

 

[flownosaj]

Steve--$35 for a pen is too much for her? Good thing you don't like Mont Blanc stuff /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[notos&w]

Just an FYI - i got some replacement refills from Fisher with the new ink formula. They write much better and so far have not globbed, leaked, or smeared. Now the pen is almost on par with a 10 cent Bic, at least when writing on paper in the normal manner (ie not upside down). I'm using my space pens more and more for work but still use gel when it's something a client will see.

 

[Steve C]

flown,

Yeah. She won't blink an eye if I drop $200 on a model airplane engine or kit, and thinks even less if I buy a gun or knife; that's "man stuff", you see, and is to be expected.

But I've never seen her launch like she did over this space pen, and we've been married a long time. I guess the idea just hit her all wrong that day...